Shrimp sorter



Feb. 22, 1955 J, ucius, JR, ET AL 2,702,628

SHRIMP SORTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16. 1955 FIG.

R O T N E V N 'J. A. Lucrus, JR. WALLACE N. MERRICK ATTORNEY Feb. 22, 1955 J uclus, JR" ET AL 2,702,628

SHRIMP SORTER Filed June 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I FIG.3

INVENTOR J. A. LUC|US,JR. WALLACE.N.MERRICK BY I m ATTORNEY United States Patent SHRIMP SORTER Joshua A. Lucius, Jr., and Wallace N. Merrick, Harlingen, Tex.

Application June 16, 1953, Serial No. 362,044

Claims. (Cl. 209-107) This invention relates to the classification of articles and more particularly to the separation of articles into groups of generally uniform characteristics such as, for example, size.

This invention relates specifically to the sorting or grading of food, such as shrimp, for example, according to size, for the market thereby improving the appearance, quality, saleability, and monetary value of the same.

Heretofore it has been recognized as desirable to sort or grade shrimp and this has been done in various ways and at a substantial expenditure of time, effort and expense. The means employed have been either by hand or with equipment that has not satisfied the requirements with regard to time consumption, reliability, and cost.

It is an object of the invention to provide a sorter or grader of relatively simple, inexpensive, and durable character, by means of which shrimp and other products can be rapidly, continuously, and reliably separated according to size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of relatively few parts and composed of more or less independent units the number of which employed corresponds to the capacity required. A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine that is power driven and substantially foolproof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine that does not require care in the feeding of the shrimp to the same but which will operate to distribute the shrimp or the articles graded and which likewise will tend to dislodge shrimp or other articles tending to hang or remain stationary.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, an elevation of the entrance end with the casing for the driving mechanism removed;

Fig. 3, a top plan view;

Fig. 4, a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a perspective of one of the rollers and,

Fig. 6, a perspective of the roller mounting and adjusting mechanism. 2

Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a machine having elongated rollers arranged in a manner to provide inclined trough-like areas and extending from end to end of the same and into the upper ends of which shrimp or other articles to be sorted or graded are deposited. The rollers are rotated so that the shrimp will be caused to travel by gravity downwardly between the rollers toward the discharge end of the machine.

Each trough-like area or structure comprises four rollers, two at each side at different elevations or one above the other, and with the axes of the upper or top rollers spaced slightly further apart than the axes of the lower or bottom rollers. The top rollers are of uniform diameter throughout their lengths, however, the lower or bottom rollers are composed of a series of lengths of stepped diameters.

In a single machine there are two or more of such trough-like structures, each being provided with four rollers, the number of trough-like structures employed being dependent upon the capacity required. In each unit of two trough-like structures, the remote or most widely separated pairs of superimposed rollers are adjusted toward and from the cooperating pairs of rollers to provide for variations in size of shrimp or other objects graded. To

accomplish this, an adjusting screw is disposed transversely of the parallel rollers at each end of the machine, such adjusting screw having threads of opposite pitch at its ends which engage corresponding threads in openings in the roller supports, whereby upon rotation of said screw the adjustment will be made.

In the machine illustrated two trough-like structures having eight rollers are disclosed, all of which are driven by means of a single chain or belt from a sprocket on a shaft driven by a single motor through three V-belts. Shrimp introduced into the upper end of the machine will travel along the rollers except those which are sufiiciently small to pass downwardly between the adjacent lower rollers. The shrimp too large to drop through the rollers will travel downwardly of the machine onto portions of the rollers of smaller diameter, until the shrimp of maximum size will be discharged from the lower end of the machine.

Means is provided for washing. the shrimp and for lubricating, cleaning, and washing the entire roller assembly, facilitating the movement of the product through the entire operation, from the feed or entrance end to the discharge end. The sized product is washed into, along, and from sluice troughs through the expeller openings. Such means includes a supply pipe to a header from which header a spray pipe extends longitudinally and sprays water inwardly along each side edge, and at both side edges from a central longitudinal pipe of larger diameter.

With continued reference to the drawings, the machine of the present invention includes a cabinet having end members 10 and 11 supported by legs Hand 13, the latter being substantially two-thirds the length of the former, so that the machine will be inclined between its-inlet and its discharge ends. Between the head and foot, or inlet and discharge ends 10 and 11, are mounted a series of inclined elongated rollers arranged in a manner to provide inclined trough-like areas into the upper portions of which articles to be sorted or graded, such as shrimp, are deposited, and which will be moved so that they. can be carried by gravity along the rollers until discharged. Each trough-like structure comprises four rollers, two at each side at diflerent elevations and with top rollers 14 mounted on axes 15, while the bottom rollers are mounted on corresponding axes 16, which are composed of lengths 17, 1S, and 19 of stepped diameters, and preferably oval-shape, so that the wider spaced rollers 14 direct the shrimp onto the larger portions 17 of the corresponding underlying rollers, whereupon relatively small shrimp will drop through and larger shrimp be carried along onto sections 18, so that shrimp which are small enough will drop between the opposed roller portions 18 and the larger shrimp will be carried onto the roller portions 19, where shrimp sufiiciently small will drop through and the mammoth shrimp will pass from the end of the machine.

In a single machine there are preferably two or more trough-like structures, each composed of four rollers. However, the number of such trough-like structures will be dependent upon the capacity required. The rollers 14 and 17 are mounted in upright supports 20 and 21, which rest upon a transverse member 22, the axes 15 and 16 being disposed in receiving openings 15 and 16 of a size to receive the same. The outer support 20 in each unit being movable relative to its parallel member 21, in order to adjust the machine for objects of difierent sizes. In order to adjust the members 20, a rod 23 is provided with oppositely threaded extremities 24 and 25, which engage within corresponding threads in the supports 20, the supports 21 being provided with openings slightly larger than the rod 23, so that the rod is slidable relative to such supports. The threaded ends of the rod 23 are provided with squared portions 26 and 27, so that the rod may be rotated from either end to make the desired adjustment. Beneath the superimposed pairs of roller units provided in each trough-like structure is mounted a sluice trough 28, having discharge openings 29 and 30, each sluice trough being open at its lower end for the discharge of sluice water. Beside each superimposed pair of rollers are guard pans 31, attached by fasteners 32, to the lower flanges of slide blades 33. It will be noted that the slide blades 33 between adjacent trough-like structure meet at the upper extremities thereof and incline outwardly to divide the load "introduced into the machine. Water is supplied through a pipe 34 to a header 35, to which are connected outer spray pipes 36 and 37, and a central spray pipe 38. The outer pipes -36-and 37 are-provided with spray orifices 39 and 40, while the larger-center-pipe-38isprovided with divergent spray orifices 41 and'14r2. =Water supplied through the system-just describedservesto wash the shrimp, or other objects, andfor-lubricating, cleaning and washing the entire roller assembly, facilitating the operation of the machine and the movement of the product from'the feed or entrance end to-the discharge end, as well as to wash the sized product downwardly into and out of the sluice troughs through the expeller openings.

-As--previously indicated the lengths 17,18 and 19 of the sorting or'grad-ing rollers'are flattened on opposite sides, by agrind-ing operation or the like, to facilitate performance of their function, and the operation is improved by therotation of the several rollers. This may be done in any desired-manner. However, for purposes of illustration, one very satisfactory way is to place sprockets or pulleys .43, 44, 45, and 46 on the outer ends of each roller support 15, and slightly larger sprockets or pulleys 47, 48, 49 and 50, on each roller support 16, as shown in Fig. '2, and by means of a motor 51, mounted ona support 52, to drive through a series of three belts 53, relatively large sheave or wheel 54 on a jack-shaft 55, and from said jack-shaft to drive a smaller sprocket or pulley 56, a chain or belt 57, which extends around an idler 58, and then around sprockets or pulleys 46, 50, 49, 4.8, 45, 44, 43, and 47. This causes pulleys or sprockets 43 and 47 to travel in a counterclockwise direction, while the opposite sprockets or pulleys .4 and .48 travel in a clockwise direction, and in like manner pulleys or sprockets .45 andv49 to travel in a counterclockwise direction, and sprockets or pulleys 46 and 50 to travel in a clockwise direction.

The rollers maybe flattened on opposite sides thereof by a slight amount so that the transverse dimension of the roller may vary of an inch between the flattened portions thereof and the normal portions thereof resulting in an oval shape. The rotation of the rollers provides an upthrust on the shrimp or other material facilitating the sorting operation. j It will be evident that chains may be used to maintain the positive timed relation between the sorting rollers so that the portions of such rollers of greatest transverse dimension are between the axes of the rollers and substantially on a line therewith at regular periodic intervals.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made inthe invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore theinvention is not limited by that which is shown in thedrawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

' l. A sorting structure comprising an elongated struc ture, means for supporting said structure in inclined position from a higher inlet end to a lower discharge end, a pair of troughsarranged in substantially parallel spaced relation and mounted on said structure, a first upright fixed on said structure and projecting above one trough, asecond upright fixed on said structure and projecting above the other trough, said first and second uprights being adjacent to the adjacent portions of said first and second troughs, a thirdupright projecting above said first trough and monntedon said structure for movement toward and from said first upright, a fourth upright mounted on said structure projecting above said second trough and movable toward and away from said second upright, afirst roller of generally uniform diameter rotatably mounted on each of said uprights above said trough, a second roller having sections of different diameter mounted on each of said uprights, said first and second rollers being inclineddownwardly from the inlet end toward the discharge .end and the second roller being of greater diameter adjacent itsinlet .end, said troughs being provided with outlets adjacent the lowermost portions of each section of different diameter and having anoutlet at the lowerend of said troughs, a rod extending through said uprights and threadcdly connected to said third and fourth uprights whereby .rotationofsaid rodmoves saidthird and fourth uprights toward and. away fromsaid first and second uprights respectively for controlling the .lateral spacing of said rollers, the rollers of uniform diameter being located closer to said rollers of varying diameter than the normal operating distance between the adjacent portions of the rollers of varying diameter.

2. A sorting structure comprising an elongated structure, means for supporting said structure in inclined position from a higher inlet end to a lower discharge end, a pair of troughs arranged in substantially parallel spaced relation and mounted on said structure, a first upright fixed on said structure and projecting above one trough, a second upright fixed on said structure and projecting above the other trough, said first and second uprights being adjacent to the adjacent portions of said first and second troughs, a third upright projecting above said first trough and mounted .on said structure for movement toward and from said first upright, a fourth upright mounted on said structure projecting above said second trough and movable toward and away from said second upright, a first roller of generally uniform diameter rotatably mounted on each of saiduprights above said trough, a second roller having sections of difierent diameter mounted on each of said uprights, said first and second rollers being inclined downwardly from the inlet end toward the discharge end and the second roller being of greater diameter adjacent its inlet end, said troughs being provided with outlets adjacent the lowermost portions of each section of different diameter and having an outlet at the lower end of said troughs, a rod extending through said uprights and threadedly connected to said third and fourth uprights whereby rotation of said rod moves said third and fourth uprights toward and away from said first and second uprights respectivelyfor controlling the lateral spacing of said rollers, said uniform diameter rollers being spaced apart substantially more than said rollers of varying diameter, said rollers of varying diameter being beneath said rollers of uniform diameter.

3. A sorting structure comprising an elongated structurc, means for supporting said structure in inclined position from a higher inlet end to a lower discharge end, a pair of troughs arranged in substantially parallel spaced relation and mounted on said structure, a first upright fixed on said structure and projecting above one trough, a second upright fixed on said structure and projecting above the other trough, said first and second uprights being adjacent to the adjacent portions of said first and second troughs, a third upright projecting above said first trough and mounted on said structure for movement toward and from said first upright, a fourth upright mounted on said structure projecting above said second trough and movable toward and away from said second upright, a first roller of generally uniform diameter rotatably mounted on each of said uprights ,above said trough, a second roller having sections of different diameter mounted on each of said uprights, said first and second rollers being inclineddownwardly from the inlet end toward the discharge end and the se ond roller being of greater diameteradjacent its inlet end, said troughs being provided with outlets adjacentthe lowermost portions .of each section of different diameter-and having an outlet at the lower end of said troughs, ,a rod extending through said uprights and threadedly connected to said third and fourthuprights whereby rotation of said rod moves .said third and fourth uprights toward and away from said first andsecond uprights respectively for controlling the lateral spacing ,of said rollers, and slide blades projecting upwardly and laterally from said rollers for guiding shrimp the slide blades adjacent the rollers mounted on said first and second supports converging toward their upper edges, awater supply located at the upper edges thereof and water supply means located at the upper edges of the outer slide blades.

4. A sorting structure comprising an elongated structure, means for supporting said structure in inclined position from a higher inlet end to a lower discharge end, a pair of troughs arranged in substantially parallel spaced relation and mounted on said structure, a first upright fixed on said structure and projecting above one trough, a second upright fixed .on said structure and projecting above the other trough, said first and second uprights being adjacent to the adjacent portionsof said first and second troughs, a third upright projecting above said first trough and mounted on said structure for movement toward and from said first upright, a'fourth .upright mounted on said-structure projecting above said second trough and movable toward and away from said second upright, a first roller of generally uniform diameter rotatably mount ed on each of said uprights above said trough, a second roller having sections of different diameter mounted on each of said uprights, said first and second rollers being inclined downwardly from the inlet end toward the discharge end and the second roller being of greater diameter adjacent its inlet end, said troughs bein provided with outlets adjacent the lowermost portions of each section of different diameter and having an outlet at the lower end of said troughs, a rod extending through said uprights and threadedly connected to said third and fourth uprights whereby rotation of said rod moves said third and fourth uprights toward and away from said first and second uprights respectively for controlling the lateral spacing of said rollers.

5. Shrimp sorting means comprising an elongated structure including a trough at the bottom thereof, legs supporting structure in inclined position, a first support projecting upwardly and laterally, a second support movably mounted on said structure toward and away from said first support and extending upwardly and laterally diverging from said first support, slide blades mounted on said structure on opposite sides of said first and second supports and converging downwardly for guiding material into the trough, a first pair of rollers of generally uniform diameter and approximately the length of said structure rotatably mounted in said first and second supports in generally parallel relation and inclined from one end toward the other end, a second pair of rollers having sections of progressively smaller diameter from one end toward the other end mounted in substantially parallel relation on said first and second supports and below said first pair of rollers, spray means mounted at the upper edges of said slide blades for directing spray on shrimp retained on said rollers, means for rotating said rollers so that the adjacent portions of each pair of rollers moves upwardly, said trough being provided with discharge openings adjacent the lower portion of each section of said second pair of rollers whereby the shrimp passing between said second set of rollers may be collected according to size.

6. A sizing structure for random sized objects comprising a pair of rollers of uniform diameter arranged in generally parallel relation and inclined downwardly from an article receiving end toward an article discharge end, a second pair of rollers varying in transverse dimensions from one end toward the other end rotatably mounted in parallel spaced relation and inclined downwardly from an article receiving station to an article discharge station, and means for rotating said rollers so that the adjacent portions of each pair moves upwardly.

7. A sorter for random sized articles comprising a pair of rollers arranged in generally parallel side-by-side relation and inclined downwardly from an article receiving end to article discharge stations, means to mount said rollers for rotation about their axes said rollers having portions of greater transverse dimensions at the article receiving end than at the article discharge stations, each of said rollers having one dimension perpendicular to the axis of greater length than the dimension perpendicular to said first transverse dimension and said axis, means to rotate said rollers so that the adjacent portions thereof move upwardly and the portions of each roller of greatest transverse dimension are in substantial alignment between the axes of rotation of said rollers twice for each rotation thereof.

8. Means for sorting articles comprising a pair of elongated elements rotatably mounted in side-by-side relation, each of said elements having portions of varying radial dimension from the axis of rotation thereof, means for rotating said elements so that the adjacent portions thereof move in the same direction with the portions of greatest radial dimension of each element being periodically between and in substantial alignment between the axes of rotation thereof during each rotation of said elements whereby a lifting action is given to the articles.

9. A sorting device for sorting articles comprising a pair of rollers arranged in side-by-side relation and varying in their distance between adjacent portions from one end of said rollers to the other end, each of said rollers being oval shape in cross section, means for driving said rollers so that the adjacent portions thereof move upwardly and means for timing said rollers so that the portions thereof of greatest radial dimension are in closest proximity at one time and the portions of smallest radial dimension are in closest proximity at another time.

10. A shrimp sorter comprising a pair of rollers positioned in side-by-side relation and inclined downwardly from a receiving station to discharge stations, each of said rollers having lengths thereof of progressively smaller diameter from a relatively large diameter at the top to a relatively small diameter at the bottom, each of said lengths having flattened portions on opposite sides thereof, means for rotating said rollers so that the adjacent portions thereof move upwardly and articles of definite size may fall between such rollers at spaced stations.

No references cited. 

